jode hillman
Well-known member
With the cold weather and front that pushed thru the bucks have been moving good and doing some chasing. I sat last friday for a long time in the morning. I was planning to shoot a doe for my neighbor. Well the one doe that showed up was hot and had a train of bucks (mostly smaller) trailing her. I thought I caught a glimpse briefly of the 8 point that caught m sleeping back in early October, but I wasn't sure.
So for the next 3 days I ran myself ragged on no sleep, work, then as much time in the tree as possible. (ended up getting a nasty head cold to boot) Last Fridays performance wasn't to be repeated ( an open acorn flat was the setting) Frustrated I decided to change up the game plan.
Tonight I decided to hunt a small property close to home. One benefits of living in the same place for a long time is you get to know people in the area. I met a younger homeowner last spring when I was turkey hunting. He bought a run down neglected property on the street behind me. It has a small 4 acre field and about 9 acres of some of the most forsaken , neglected overgrown cover you can find. I had approached him about Turkey hunting the field and was turned down. He said he didn't believe in killing natures critters.... :roll: Anyway I was polite and thanked him for his time. I gave him my number and said to call if he ever changed his mind. Fast forward to late August, with his field planted with Grapes and Nursey trees the deer though it was buffet time! His thought about natures critters had changed considerably. :lol:
He mentioned the deer only come out into the field at night, so I figured they were bedding in the thick and moving out under the cover of darkness. Problem was how to get in to the bedroom and not spook them out. I scouted it in september and found if I wore hip boots I could approach thru the swamp on the other side and if the wind was right get in without the deer seeing or smelling me.
Come to 3:30 today. I had worked (had a terrible day because of my head cold) and decided to come in and take a nap. That didnt work and knowing there were deer out there I decided to give it a go anyway. Boots on, sprayed down and groggy I start off thru the swamp. Going slow out of necesity I can hear things moving slowly ahead of of me. I come to the little hummock were my stand is and a yearling doe stands up from under a highbush blueberry. Clearly not used to seeing anyone she stood there of 5 or 6 second before slowly trotting off. Thank goodness she never blew or stomped her foot.
Tired and a little wet I get up to my perch. My first thought is wow, this is close quarters. I didn't clear any shooting lanes, and my only shots were little windows and one small clearing 13 yards away from a downed tree. 13 yards, that was my farthest shot!
I knock and arrow, get my face mask and gloves on and I begin to hear alot of rustling and shuffling. I thought All hell was about the break loose as I spooked everything in sight. However It's get quiet again and 10 minutes later I hear something coming thru the swamp and onto the little ridge. I strain to see thru the laurel and blueberry. I could see the heavy square chest and slow cadence of a good sized deer. He pauses at a little opening 18 yards away and I can see his head and neck. It is a decent buck, probably the same 8 that I saw earlier in the year. But I have no shot. He stayed there for over a minute. Just sniffing and flicking his tail. I prayed he keep coming and he did.
The next time he stopped was at 12 yards to work a little scrape. He was quatering hard away as the trail makes a 90 degree turn here. I had a tiny (3") window to shoot. It was covered by light foliage all around. I had a choice, wait and hope he comes into the full clearing or take the shot. With a buck this close I knew he could bolt at ay minute if the wind shifted, right now he was relaxed, so I took the shot. When the arrow hit he hunched up hard and took off like a train. I heard him jump a few times, a splash and then nothing. I looked at my watch, it was 4:15. I waited until 4:30 to climb down. I found my arrow, but it was covered with meat and some fat...oh man, not good. I decided to sit for another 15 minutes and just watch and listen.
I heard and saw nothing so decided to proceed. 5 yards from the impact i see a drop of blood, and then another. 5 feet farther from that I see blood spray and lots of bubble, now your talking!
I follow good blood for 15 more yards and find him laid out at the edge of another hummock, a double lung shot putting a quick end to him. Because of the hard angle the arrow exited the far side shoulder and picked up some meat from there.
I went and got the neighbor to help me get the deer out. Not sure what it weight is, but definatley heavier than the 140 pounder I killed a couple weeks ago. he was a battler with several scabbed over scars on his skull and ear and he broke a brow tine somwhere along the way.
Sorry to be so long winded but it was a fun hunt and a good way to cap off a few hard days of hunting. Now on to some ducks!
So for the next 3 days I ran myself ragged on no sleep, work, then as much time in the tree as possible. (ended up getting a nasty head cold to boot) Last Fridays performance wasn't to be repeated ( an open acorn flat was the setting) Frustrated I decided to change up the game plan.
Tonight I decided to hunt a small property close to home. One benefits of living in the same place for a long time is you get to know people in the area. I met a younger homeowner last spring when I was turkey hunting. He bought a run down neglected property on the street behind me. It has a small 4 acre field and about 9 acres of some of the most forsaken , neglected overgrown cover you can find. I had approached him about Turkey hunting the field and was turned down. He said he didn't believe in killing natures critters.... :roll: Anyway I was polite and thanked him for his time. I gave him my number and said to call if he ever changed his mind. Fast forward to late August, with his field planted with Grapes and Nursey trees the deer though it was buffet time! His thought about natures critters had changed considerably. :lol:
He mentioned the deer only come out into the field at night, so I figured they were bedding in the thick and moving out under the cover of darkness. Problem was how to get in to the bedroom and not spook them out. I scouted it in september and found if I wore hip boots I could approach thru the swamp on the other side and if the wind was right get in without the deer seeing or smelling me.
Come to 3:30 today. I had worked (had a terrible day because of my head cold) and decided to come in and take a nap. That didnt work and knowing there were deer out there I decided to give it a go anyway. Boots on, sprayed down and groggy I start off thru the swamp. Going slow out of necesity I can hear things moving slowly ahead of of me. I come to the little hummock were my stand is and a yearling doe stands up from under a highbush blueberry. Clearly not used to seeing anyone she stood there of 5 or 6 second before slowly trotting off. Thank goodness she never blew or stomped her foot.
Tired and a little wet I get up to my perch. My first thought is wow, this is close quarters. I didn't clear any shooting lanes, and my only shots were little windows and one small clearing 13 yards away from a downed tree. 13 yards, that was my farthest shot!
I knock and arrow, get my face mask and gloves on and I begin to hear alot of rustling and shuffling. I thought All hell was about the break loose as I spooked everything in sight. However It's get quiet again and 10 minutes later I hear something coming thru the swamp and onto the little ridge. I strain to see thru the laurel and blueberry. I could see the heavy square chest and slow cadence of a good sized deer. He pauses at a little opening 18 yards away and I can see his head and neck. It is a decent buck, probably the same 8 that I saw earlier in the year. But I have no shot. He stayed there for over a minute. Just sniffing and flicking his tail. I prayed he keep coming and he did.
The next time he stopped was at 12 yards to work a little scrape. He was quatering hard away as the trail makes a 90 degree turn here. I had a tiny (3") window to shoot. It was covered by light foliage all around. I had a choice, wait and hope he comes into the full clearing or take the shot. With a buck this close I knew he could bolt at ay minute if the wind shifted, right now he was relaxed, so I took the shot. When the arrow hit he hunched up hard and took off like a train. I heard him jump a few times, a splash and then nothing. I looked at my watch, it was 4:15. I waited until 4:30 to climb down. I found my arrow, but it was covered with meat and some fat...oh man, not good. I decided to sit for another 15 minutes and just watch and listen.
I heard and saw nothing so decided to proceed. 5 yards from the impact i see a drop of blood, and then another. 5 feet farther from that I see blood spray and lots of bubble, now your talking!
I follow good blood for 15 more yards and find him laid out at the edge of another hummock, a double lung shot putting a quick end to him. Because of the hard angle the arrow exited the far side shoulder and picked up some meat from there.I went and got the neighbor to help me get the deer out. Not sure what it weight is, but definatley heavier than the 140 pounder I killed a couple weeks ago. he was a battler with several scabbed over scars on his skull and ear and he broke a brow tine somwhere along the way.
Sorry to be so long winded but it was a fun hunt and a good way to cap off a few hard days of hunting. Now on to some ducks!
